ISTANBUL – ANSWER. Her permanent positions Ankara expresses its Ministry of Foreign Affairs Turkey in the annual issue of the newsletter Our Foreign Policy in 2023. At the same time, the Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar accuses Greece of “provocations” and “genocide of minorities in Thrace”.

The official bulletin of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the neighboring country emphasizes that “Turkey has legitimate rights and interests arising from international law in its maritime areas. Eastern Mediterranean“. Ankara claims that its continental shelf extends to the limits it has notified to the UN and notes that “on this continental shelf we have sovereign rights.” Turkey does not recognize any influence of the islands on the continental shelf and only recognizes the right to territorial waters of 6 miles.

Ankara claims in an official bulletin that “a violation by Hellas demilitarized regime of the Eastern Aegean Islands is brought to the attention of the international community by letters sent to the UN.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs accuses Athens of violating the rights of minorities and claims that “Greece, which continues to interfere with the rights of the Turkish minority through repressive laws and practices, is urged to respect international law at every opportunity, to fulfill its treaty obligations. and stop its policy of intimidation of the Turkish minority.”

In the same mood was the speech of Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, who accused Greece of escalating tension and said that it was acting “with continuous provocative actions and aggressive rhetoric, with claims and demands that go beyond logic and law, which is without precedent in everything the world.” Mr. Akar, in his speech before the parliamentary committee on the budget of his ministry, called Greece “accusing Turkey of expansionism, inventing a concept called “neo-Ottoman”, despite the fact that Greece expanded 3 times in 7 stages in search of the “Big Idea”. “from the day of its foundation and fell right under the nose of Turkey.”

The Turkish Defense Minister stated that Athens was oppressing a minority in Thrace and stated that Greece supported terrorist organizations. “Greece is trying to intimidate the ‘Turks’ with assimilation policies and pressure, it is committing an almost conscious genocide of identity, collaborating with terrorist organizations and helping and supporting terrorists, especially in the Lavrio camp,” he said characteristically.

Mr. Akar also cited history, arguing that “the real atrocities and genocide were committed by Greece during the uprising against the Ottoman Empire in Tripoli and its attempt to invade Anatolia between 1919 and 1922. It’s true and everyone knows it. In this regard, if Greece is looking for genocide, it must look in the mirror,” he said. The Turkish Defense Minister has finally stated that Turkey will not allow any fait accompli in Cyprus, the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean.”